as in capabilities
the physical or mental power to do something
as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk
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Recent Examples of abilities
Next to potatoes, plant nasturtium for its pretty flowers and trap crop abilities (and nasturtium flowers are edible).
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
All Americans had opportunities to succeed or fail based on their abilities, willingness to work hard, and their vision.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
Last year, Resounding Joy brought the healing power of music to nearly 10,000 community members of all ages, abilities and incomes across San Diego County in places ranging from hospital rooms to community parks.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Even labels meant to praise your children's differing abilities can be problematic.
—Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 19 Feb. 2026
The Giants got a three-and-a-half-month sample of Devers’ lineup-altering power, as well as a peek at his defensive abilities at first base.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Chief Executive Elon Musk has long touted the abilities of Tesla’s driver assistance features, claiming for more than 10 years that a Tesla can drive itself as safely as a human.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Johnson sees a little bit of Achane in his own abilities.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
Shiffrin has been open about how her father’s death has affected her competition and abilities.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 18 Feb. 2026
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
All Americans had opportunities to succeed or fail based on their abilities, willingness to work hard, and their vision.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
Last year, Resounding Joy brought the healing power of music to nearly 10,000 community members of all ages, abilities and incomes across San Diego County in places ranging from hospital rooms to community parks.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Even labels meant to praise your children's differing abilities can be problematic.
—Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 19 Feb. 2026
The Giants got a three-and-a-half-month sample of Devers’ lineup-altering power, as well as a peek at his defensive abilities at first base.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Chief Executive Elon Musk has long touted the abilities of Tesla’s driver assistance features, claiming for more than 10 years that a Tesla can drive itself as safely as a human.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Johnson sees a little bit of Achane in his own abilities.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
Shiffrin has been open about how her father’s death has affected her competition and abilities.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities
Noun
-
Whether negotiations can restrain Iran’s regional proxies or whether Tehran’s long-range missile capabilities are deemed too dangerous to confront — thus preserving the regime in the name of regional stability — remains the central question.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Released to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Fire Horse, the video is not just a celebration, but a way to show off the robot’s impressive capabilities.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mystic trust in the power of Mercury or whatever spans generations and intellectual capacities.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Effective responses to multiple civic crises in today’s America depend on analysis of how people develop capacities for work on public challenges.—
Harry Boyte,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Research on attachment consistently shows that children who experience warm, responsive, and predictable caregiving develop stronger emotional regulation and coping skills over time.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Parents,
17 Feb. 2026
-
This rare phenomenon gives him exceptional skills in puzzle-solving, higher math functions and pattern recognition.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Growing up in Winnipeg, Canada, Shattuck-Takamoto-Baer’s artistic talents were evident from an early age.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
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The dynamic talents of local fashion designers are highlighted in transforming the use of sustainable materials and integrating artistic philosophies.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The bouba-kiki effect may have played a role in the emergence of language, along with many other cognitive faculties.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Instead, the attorney claimed, Williams' faculties were impacted by alcohol addiction.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
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More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Let’s talk about our innovation competencies.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Sourisse said Thales is not only marketing its solutions but also planning to localize activities and competencies.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abilities. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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